Honing apparatus

ABSTRACT

A honing apparatus in which honing tools and a workpiece slide on each other in a composite rotary and oscillatory movement, has honing tools resiliently biased into engagement with the workpiece whereby a very smooth surface is quickly obtained.

United States Patent 11 1 Borcherding July 17, 1973 1 1 HONING APPARATUS [56] References Cited [75] inventor: Karl Borcherding, D-3052 Bad UNITED STATES PATENTS Nemldorf, Germany 2,284,134 5/1942 Connor 51/349 x 1,464,442 8/1923 Palser 1 51/57 173] Asslgneel FlP Obemklrche" 2,606,410 8/1952 Thery 5 H67 x A1188, (Jerm ny 2,212,159 8/1940 Hingle 51/352 Filed: y 9 72 R13,7()6 3/1914 Beam 51/57 [211 Appl 25l750 Primary Examiner-Donald G. Kelly Related US. Application Data Atw neyMi chael S. Striker [62] Division of Ser. No. 50,096, June 26, 1970, Pat. No.

3,678,630. 57 ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Applicafion Priority Data A honing apparatus in which honing tools and a work- 1 2 I969 G P 9 33 575 2 piece slide on each other in a composite rotary and osu y m cillatory movement, has honing tools resiliently biased into engagement with the workpiece whereby a very [52] 0.8. CI. 51/92 R 5l/204 R, 51/352 51 1m. 01 B24b 33/04, 13246 5/36, B24b 5/14 surface qu'ckly Obtamed' [58] Field of Search 51/34 H, 34 J, 34 K, 12 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures 1 HoNiNG APPARATUS CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application is a divisional application of the copending application Ser. No. 50,096 filed June 26, 1970, now US. Pat. No. 3,678,630.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is particularly concerned with the manufacture of articles consisting of pressed glass. In the prior art, press tools are used which have very hard surfaces with 40 to 65 on the Rockwell scale. The press dies are turned on a pattern lathe, and then polished with a polishing paste, preferably containing diamond dust. This treatment requires a great deal of time, and nevertheless the surface quality of the finished article is not perfect since the grinding tracks remain which are highly undesirable for glass making tools.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is one object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art apparatus for making smooth surfaceson press dies for glass articles, and to provide a honing apparatus of simple construction capable of producing a very smooth surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide a honing apparatus which is capable of producing smooth surfaces on different articles with only few adjustments of the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to assure a constant contact between a honing tool and a workpiece surface during a composite relative movement between the workpiece and the honing tool.

With these objects in view, one embodiment of the invention comprises a resilient tool holder for holding one or several honing tools, a workpiece holder for holding a workpiece in a position slidingly engaged by the honing tool, and drive means for moving the tool holder and the workpiece holder, and thereby the honing tool and the workpiece, relative to each other in a composite movement including rotary and oscillatory motions. In this manner, the honing tool, or honing tools, exert resilient pressure on the workpiece while sliding on the same, and any irregularities of the workpiece surface are compensated by the resilient support of the honing tool.

In one embodiment of the invention, a plurality of leaf springs support honing tools at the ends thereof which are arranged about a surface of revolution of the rotating workpiece. In another embodiment, resilient shafts rotate the tool holders with the honing tools so that the latter rotate while being in contact with the rotating workpiece.

Preferably, successive honing tools are staggered in axial and circumferential directions of the workpiece, which has the advantage that even small cross-sections can be honed without interference between the several tool holders.

Adjusting means are advantageously provided for adjusting the position of the resilient means, and thereby the resilient pressure at which the workpiece is engaged by the honing tool.

In a preferred arrangement of the invention, each honing tool includes several honing tool elements of different fineness, for example a tool element having very fine granulation, a second tool element having intermediate granulation, and a third tool element having coarse granulation. During an operational cycle, first the coarse tool element, and then the other finer tool elements are successively rendered operative and engage the surface of the workpiece. In this manner, the time required for coarse and fine honing operation is essentially reduced.

In this embodiment in which resilient shafts for honing tools are provided, it is advantageous to drive the shafts by the planetary gears of a differential transmission, while all shafts are simultaneously revolved about the workpiece by the planetary carrier. Each honing tool means preferably consists of sector-shaped tool elements of different fineness so that the apparatus need not be stopped for providing tools of different fineness. The required relative speed between the workpiece and the honing tools, is easily obtained by driving the planetary carrier and the sun gear of the differential transmission by independent drive means.

It is advantageous to provide several rows of tools of different fineness, and to provide setting means for setting tools of the same fineness simultaneously in an operative position engaging the workpiece so that the workpiece can be first honed by coarse tools, and then by finer tools. The planes in which the tools are disposed are extending in the same direction which direction is perpendicular to the axis of the workpiece.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation, partially in section and illustrating one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line IIII in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating toolholder means and drive means for the same in accordance with a modified embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line IV-IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially at line II-II in FIG. 1, but illustrating the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a modified detail which may be used in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 3;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line VII--VII in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale illustrating a part of FIG. 1 surrounded by the circle VIII; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view schematically illustrating a modification of the embodiment of FIG. 1 for treating the inner surface of a workpiece instead of the outer surface.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIG. 1, a support 20 has brackets 21 and 22 on which the cylinder of a hydraulic motor 25 is mounted. A fluid is supplied to, and discharged from,

the openings 54 and 55 to move the piston and piston rod 53 up and down. A workpiece holder 53a supports a workpiece 50 which can be oscillated or reciprocated by piston means 53 in the directions indicated by the double arrow 57. The workpiece 50 has a surface of revolution whose axis coincides with the axis of the hydraulic motor 25.

Support 20 further carries bracket means 31 on which a motor 32 is mounted. A pulley and belt transmission 34 connects the motor shaft 33 with a shaft 28 which is mounted in a bearing 27, also supported on support 20, and which is secured to a carrier plate 290 of tool holder means 29 which further include adjusting means 40, best seen in FIG. 8, for adjustably mounting four leaf springs 41, each of which carries a tool holder 42 in which a honing tool 45 is mounted.

As shown in FIG. 8, an adjusting means 40 includes a pivot 103 supporting a block 101 on the carrier plate 29a for angular movement. Each leaf spring 41 is secured by screws 100 to a block 101, and an adjusting screw 105 passes through a threaded bore in block 101 and engages with its end a surface 106 of carrier plate 290. By turning of adjusting screw 105, the angular position of the respective leaf spring 41 can be modified so that the tool 45 at the other end of the respective leaf spring 41 is pressed with a greater or smaller resilient force against the surface of workpiece 50. The adjusting means 40 is shown in FIG. 8 turned an angle of 90 as compared with its position in the circle VIII in FIG. 1.

The illustrated workpiece 50 is the press die or plunger of a press for making glass articles, but workpieces serving another purpose may also be used. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, pairs of tool holders 42 which alternate in circumferential direction, are disposed in different planes and spaced not only circumferentially, but also in axial direction from the adjacent tool holders. The tool holder means 29 are rotated from motor 32 through a transmission 34 so that the tools 45 rotate about the axis of workpiece 50 while being in sliding engagement with the same, exerting pressure in accordance with the adjusted position of the leaf springs 41. At the same time, the workpiece 50 is reciprocated or oscillated in axial direction so that all parts of the outer surface of revolution of the workpiece are honed by the four honing tools 45.

As shown in FIG. 2, one of the tool holders 42 does not hold a single tool, but holds a stack of three tool elements 60, 61 and 62, clamped together by a screw 65. Tool element 62 is a stone of great granular fineness,

. tool element 61 is less fine, and tool element 60 is coarse. The tool elements 60, 61 and 62 are successively brought into contact with the surface of workpiece 50. In order to improve the honing operation, a honing liquid is supplied through a pipe 38 which passes through a bore in shaft 28 and is provided with a valve 37. The honing liquid flows out of pipe 38 into the surface of workpiece 50 so that the action of the tools 45 is improved.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the leaf springs 41 are replaced by resilient shafts 77 which are respectively secured to planetary gears 68 meshing with a sun gear 69. Planetary gears 68 are mounted for rotation on a planetary carrier 70 to which a hollow shaft 71 is secured. A pulley 72 is fixed on hollow shaft 71, and is driven in the manner of the pulley and belt drive 34 shown in FIG. 1. A hollow shaft 75 is located in the hollow shaft 71, and secured to sun gear 69. A supply pipe 38 for a honing liquid passes through the interior of the inner hollow shaft which is driven by other drive means together with sun gear 69. The resilient shafts revolve with the planetary carrier 70 aboutthe workpiece 50, and each resilient shaft 77 carries at its free end, as shown in FIG. 5, a tool holder with a circular tool 80 or 80a, the tool 800 comprising three sectorshaped tools or tool elements 83, 84, of different fineness. When the tools 80 and 80a engage the workpiece 50, the thin resilient shafts 77 are resiliently deformed so that the circular surfaces of the tools are resiliently pressed against the surface of the workpiece 50. While the workpiece is reciprocated as described with reference to FIG. 1, the tool holders and tools revolve about the workpiece, but at the same time, each shaft 77 rotates, and drives the respective tool 80 or 80a to rotate relative to the workpiece surface. Oppositely arranged tools are located in the same plane, while alternate tools are located in axially spaced planes, as described with reference to tools 45 in FIG. 1.

Due to the rotation of the tool 80a about its own axis in the direction of the arrow 87 in FIG. 5, each of the tool sectors 83, 84, 85 successively engages the surface of the workpiece designated 81 in FIG. 5.

FIG. 6 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the tool holder 45a of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2. A support 90 is fixed to a leaf spring 41 and slidingly supports a casing 91 for three tools 45a of different fineness. Casing 91 has a projecting portion 95 which passes through a slot 96 in support 90 into the interior of the same, and there engages with a threaded bore, a screw spindle 98 which is rotatably mounted in support 90. When spindle 98 is turned, casing 91 with the three tools is displaced so that a selected tool engages the workpiece. The tools are used in succession, the coarse tool first, and the finest tool last. FIG. 7 shows the tool of intermediate fineness in sliding contact with the workpiece 50.

The embodiment of FIG. 9 corresponds to the embodiment of FIG. 1, but is modified for the honing of inner surfaces. A tubular workpiece is reciprocated in the directions of the double arrow 11 1 by a hydraulic servo motor 25, as shown in FIG. 1. The tool holder means include a carrier plate 113 having adjusting means 114 for adjusting the position of each leaf spring 115. At the lower end of each leaf spring, a tool holder with a honing tool 1 16 is mounted, and adjusting means 114 can be adjusted so that 116 engages the inner surface of workpiece 110 at a selected resilient pressure due to the defonnation of the springs 115. Carrier plate 113 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 117 by drive means as described with reference to FIG. 1. A honing liquid is supplied to the inner surface of the workpiece 110 by a pipe extending in the direction of the arrow 119.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of honing apparatus differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a honing apparatus in which honing tools are resiliently pressed against the workpiece during a relative composite movement between the workpiece and the honing tools, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. Honing apparatus comprising support means; workpiece holder means having an axis and adapted to hold a workpiece aligned with said axis, said workpiece holdermeans being mounted on said support means reciprocable in direction of said axis; tool holder means including resilient means and being mounted on said support means rotatable about said axis and immovable in axial direction; honing tool means carried by said tool holder means for rotation about said axis and resiliently biased by said resilient means into constant contact with a workpiece carried by said workpiece holder means; first drive means mounted on said support means for reciprocating said workpiece holder means along said axis; and second drive means mounted on said support means for rotating said tool holder means about said axis.

2. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said resilient means comprises a plurality of elongated resilient members extending radially spaced from said axis and angularly spaced from each other substantially in the direction of said axis, and wherein said honing tool means include a plurality of honing tools respectively mounted on said resilient members.

3. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said plurality of honing tools include first and second tools alternating with each other about said axis and being respectively located in first and second planes which are spaced in the direction of said axis.

4. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said tool holder means includes a plate rotatable about said axis, each of said plurality of elongated resilient members being mounted at one end on said plate tiltable about a pivot axis extending transverse to said axis and carrying a honing tool at the other end thereof, and including adjusting means between said plate and said one end of each resilient member for adjusting the contact pressure between the respective honing tool and the workpiece.

5. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said second drive means comprises a planetary transmission having a sun gear coaxial with said axis, planetary gears about said sun gear and in mesh therewith, and a planetary carrier mounting said planetary gears; and wherein said resilient means comprises resilient shafts secured to said planetary gears for rotation therewith, said honing tool means comprising a plurality of honing tools respectively carried by said resilient shafts.

6. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein each of said honing tools comprises a plurality of sector shaped tool elements of different fineness forming together an outer circular surface and successively engaging the workpiece.

7. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said second drive means comprises means for rotating said planetary carrier with said planetary gears and said resilient shafts and honing tools and additional means for rotating said sun gear about its axis.

8. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said first drive means comprises a cylinder member and a piston member in said cylinder member, said members being reciprocatable relative to each other, one of said members being fixed to said support and the other of said members being connected to said work holder means for moving the latter in direction of said axis during movement of said members relative to each other. 9. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said cylinder member has an axis coinciding with said axis of said workpiece holder means.

10. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said honing tool means includes a plurality of honing tools of graduated fineness, and setting means for successively placing said honing tools into contact with the workpiece.

l1. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said tool holder means includes a support fixed to said resilient means, and a casing for a plurality of said honing tools mounted on said support for movement tangentially to the workpiece, and wherein said setting means includes threaded means for moving said casing and honing tools relative to said support and the workpiece. v

12. Honing apparatus as defined in claim l l, wherein said honing tools have the same shape and are bonded together to form a block. 

1. Honing apparatus comprising support means; workpiece holder means having an axis and adapted to hold a workpiece aligned with said axis, said workpiece holder means being mounted on said support means reciprocable in direction of said axis; tool holder means including resilient means and being mounted on said support means rotatable about said axis and immovable in axial direction; honing tool means carried by said tool holder means for rotation about said axis and resiliently biased by said resilient means into constant contact with a workpiece carried by said workpiece holder means; first drive means mounted on said support means for reciprocating said workpiece holder means along said axis; and second drive means mounted on said support means for rotating said tool holder means about said axis.
 2. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said resilient means comprises a plurality of elongated resilient members extending radially spaced from said axis anD angularly spaced from each other substantially in the direction of said axis, and wherein said honing tool means include a plurality of honing tools respectively mounted on said resilient members.
 3. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said plurality of honing tools include first and second tools alternating with each other about said axis and being respectively located in first and second planes which are spaced in the direction of said axis.
 4. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said tool holder means includes a plate rotatable about said axis, each of said plurality of elongated resilient members being mounted at one end on said plate tiltable about a pivot axis extending transverse to said axis and carrying a honing tool at the other end thereof, and including adjusting means between said plate and said one end of each resilient member for adjusting the contact pressure between the respective honing tool and the workpiece.
 5. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said second drive means comprises a planetary transmission having a sun gear coaxial with said axis, planetary gears about said sun gear and in mesh therewith, and a planetary carrier mounting said planetary gears; and wherein said resilient means comprises resilient shafts secured to said planetary gears for rotation therewith, said honing tool means comprising a plurality of honing tools respectively carried by said resilient shafts.
 6. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein each of said honing tools comprises a plurality of sector shaped tool elements of different fineness forming together an outer circular surface and successively engaging the workpiece.
 7. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said second drive means comprises means for rotating said planetary carrier with said planetary gears and said resilient shafts and honing tools and additional means for rotating said sun gear about its axis.
 8. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said first drive means comprises a cylinder member and a piston member in said cylinder member, said members being reciprocatable relative to each other, one of said members being fixed to said support and the other of said members being connected to said work holder means for moving the latter in direction of said axis during movement of said members relative to each other.
 9. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said cylinder member has an axis coinciding with said axis of said workpiece holder means.
 10. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said honing tool means includes a plurality of honing tools of graduated fineness, and setting means for successively placing said honing tools into contact with the workpiece.
 11. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said tool holder means includes a support fixed to said resilient means, and a casing for a plurality of said honing tools mounted on said support for movement tangentially to the workpiece, and wherein said setting means includes threaded means for moving said casing and honing tools relative to said support and the workpiece.
 12. Honing apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said honing tools have the same shape and are bonded together to form a block. 